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FOR
Individuals under investigation or arrest seeking immediate, senior-level legal help.
APL Law – From Generic Template to Strategic Defence Brand
How a Birmingham Criminal Defence Firm 2X’d Emergency Calls & Dominated Local Search
We rebuilt APL Law’s site into an emergency-response conversion system with clear intent routing, authoritative practice pages, and trust-rich legal copy. The result: measurable growth in calls, rankings, and qualified case enquiries.
+142%
Calls
+90%
Organic Traffic
#1
for “Birmingham criminal defence solicitor”
The Challenge — Why APL Law Was Missing Emergency Calls
Despite three decades of elite defence experience, APL Law’s website felt like a brochure — attractive enough to glance at, but hopeless at getting terrified, time-sensitive visitors to pick up the phone. People in crisis don’t read copy; they act. The site wasn’t built for action.
Key issues discovered in our 6-step audit:
- No hero headline or clear CTA — visitors left in under 3 seconds.
- Hidden phone number & poor mobile UX — no large tap-to-call CTA for emergencies.
- Firm-focused copy (e.g., “We strive for excellence”) instead of client-first language.
- Massive service pages (4,000 words) that are unreadable on phones.
- Missing local SEO basics — inconsistent NAP, no GBP optimization, no local schema.
- No trust engineering — testimonials and outcomes buried or absent.
Result: Missed emergency calls, low engagement, and zero differentiation from every other generic high-street firm.
The Strategy — From Solicitors to Strategic Defence Architects
Using the KenziDev Positioning Framework, we reframed APL Law from traditional solicitors into Strategic Defence Architects — a law firm built for high-stakes cases, urgent response, and director-level expertise from minute one.
This shift transformed every layer of the rebuild — from copy and UX to SEO — turning APL from “just another law firm” into Birmingham’s go-to name for serious criminal defence.
PROMISE
“Strategic Criminal Defence — Not Just Legal Representation.”
CATEGORY
Defence Strategy Partner.
REASON TO BELIEVE
- 30+ years of director-level experience
- Proven acquittals in serious cases
- 24/7 emergency line answered by senior solicitors
DE-POSITIONING
“Most firms assign juniors. At APL, your defence starts with the director.”
“Cases are won or lost in the first 24 hours — we answer in minute one.”
This repositioning became the foundation of every SEO, design, and conversion decision that followed — proving that in high-stakes markets, clarity outperforms creativity.
The Design System — Trust, Urgency, and Authority
The visual system was engineered to balance trust, urgency, and authority — essential for a criminal defence firm where seconds matter.
Colors
- Navy 900 — Authority
- Gold 600 — Victory
- Red 600 — Urgency
Typography
Montserrat (Headings) — bold, modern authority
Inter (Body) — clean readability for long-form copy
Grid System
12–8–4 responsive grid, 120px section padding for premium clarity.
Imagery: Director portraits, courtroom context, Birmingham cityscapes.
Icons: Professional SVGs for legal tone (no emojis).
Why it works: Navy and gold establish credibility and prestige, while red injects urgency — guiding anxious visitors to take action fast. The entire design system converts panic into trust through clarity, hierarchy, and precision.
The Outcome: Rebuilding a Complete Legal Growth System
We transformed APL Law from a static, single-page site into a high-performing Legal Marketing platform — structured for credibility, conversion, and measurable client acquisition.
Our approach went beyond design. We restructured the firm's entire online ecosystem to deliver a user experience that informs, builds trust, and converts prospects into clients.
- Messaging: Clear 'Criminal Defence Specialists' positioning with benefit-driven copy.
- UX/UI: A comprehensive legal website designed for trust, clarity, and emergency action.
- SEO: Technical and local optimization — schema, meta, and Birmingham area targeting.
- Performance: Streamlined structure and optimized assets for faster load and engagement.
The result is a complete legal marketing engine — one that builds credibility, captures demand, and turns visitors into qualified clients.
🚀 Impact Snapshot
- +142% increase in phone calls (12 → 29/week)
- +214% improvement in time on site
- +267% growth in lead submissions within 6 weeks
Why It Worked (Reflection + Differentiator)
This project wasn’t a redesign — it was a defence system built with precision.
- KenziDev combined Positioning, CRO, and SEO into a single strategic discipline:
- Built from the client’s mindset, not the firm’s ego.
- Every layout, color, and heading answered one question:
“Does this help a terrified client act fast?” - Structured the content and flow to turn panic into booked consultations.
- Designed for mobile, optimized for trust, and automated for 24/7 performance.
Result: A site that performs like an advocate — working, converting, and reassuring around the clock.
Ready to Be the Next Case Study?
Let’s turn your law firm’s website into a 24/7 defence engine that attracts serious clients and dominates local search.
Book Your Free Law Firm Audit →